Chop - Chop. Sizzle. POP. These sounds from the kitchen were my daily soundtrack as I was doing my homework. Every night, delicious aromas wafted to where I was seated on the couch in the living room. Just as I would get into the groove of completing my work, my mom would shout “Chi fan le!” Like any other night, my siblings and I made our way to the dinner table and sat down. Unlike other nights, however, my mom excused herself to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, my dad screamed “Zara! Zora!” Startled, I darted out of my seat and found him outside the bathroom door supporting my mom who had fainted. Responding to the shouted directions, my sister, Zora, helped our dad carry our mom to the living room while I sprinted to my parent’s bedroom to grab acupuncture needles. An ambulance was called and our mom was admitted to the ER. Immediately, everything was in disarray. With my mom in the hospital, it became up to me to check up on my three younger siblings and ensure that they didn’t fall behind in school. With an overwhelming sense of responsibility hurled at me, my attention was no longer focused solely on school. After many tense weeks, my mom finally returned home but was considerably weaker. She was in no shape to cook, clean, or shop for us. Determinedly, I decided to learn basic household skills in order to relieve some stress on both of my parents. In the beginning, washing the laundry was confusing, and I made many unsuccessful attempts at cooking. I tried recipes I found online and experimented with cleaning agents. I quickly learned to appreciate all that my mom was managing. Inadvertently, putting my head into these tasks actually helped with school. Beginning to manage my time better in-between caring for my mom and my siblings, keeping up with school, and learning new recipes, both my memorization skills and independent thinking skills were strengthened. Though traumatic, I’m better prepared to conquer any challenges that come my way.